


the hard part always seems to last forever

by orphan_account



Category: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, I'm not mad about it, ej ashlyn and gina live together, established rini, gina is a strong independant women, gina works at the pizza shop, gina x red x howie friendship is what we deserve, howie is bi i do not take criticism, i hate ricky bowen, not a happy ending for rina, protective ej, there's a hint of red x howie, this is very gina centric, this was supposed to be more rina focused but it turned into a howie x gina friendship fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:49:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24600061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Gina works at Big Red's pizza shop, along with him and Howie.Ricky and Nini come in for dinner one night.Gina wants to be happy for them, she really does.But she also can't be "just friends" with someone like Ricky Bowen.
Relationships: Ricky Bowen/Gina Porter
Comments: 3
Kudos: 52





	the hard part always seems to last forever

**Author's Note:**

> So this was meant to be based on a rina breakdown tweet that I posted months ago but I strayed a little off the path because oh my goodness I love Howie so much and if Tim doesn't give me the Howie x Gina friendship that I deserve I'm gonna be so upset. So this went from rina oneshot to wow look how good Red and Howie are to Gina it's what she deserves!!! Also a little EJ, Ashlyn, and Gina family fic is never not a good a thing. Enjoy!

For some reason, today was busier than all the others. On any other day, Gina would have been able to spend a few minutes in between orders joking around with Red and Howie, or secretly snacking on pizza toppings. Instead, she was running from table to table, taking orders and clearing plates. 

It isn’t until she sees EJ and some of his water polo team walking in, high fiving, that she remembers his big game was today. She watches as Red rushes to seat them, EJ giving him a slight tap on the back before sliding into a booth and laughing at something one of his teammates said. 

When Gina had first gotten to East High, she was confused as to why so many people were scared of EJ. Sure, he was super popular and everyone adored him, but it wasn’t like he was intimidating. Gina saw right through his tough-guy act that he tried to put on when he wanted to win Nini back, and now that he and Gina were living together, it was very clear to her that he put up some sort of emotional wall to keep people from getting close to him. 

She takes her notepad and pen from her apron and makes her way over to his booth. “Hey, how was the game?” Gina wipes her arm across her forehead, exhausted.

“We won!” EJ beams as the rest of his team cheers again.

“Congrats, guys. Sorry I couldn’t make it.” Gina smiles softly at the other boys before turning back to EJ.

“Everything okay?” He takes notice of Gina’s expression.

“Huh? Oh, yeah. Just a little tired. Today’s been busy. I guess that’s what happens when our school actually wins something for once,” Gina laughs. “Really, though, congrats on the win. I know how much this means to you.”

“Thanks, Porter.” 

“No problem, Caswell. Now, what can I get you guys?”

Gina would be lying if she said she didn’t find it odd that she and EJ still called each other by their last names, even when they had been living under the same roof, but she guessed that it just sort of stuck. It was all part of their “sibling” charm.

She finishes scribbling down the table’s order and reminds EJ that it might take some time for everything to be made. He gives her one last smile before turning back to his teammates and continuing whatever conversation they had been having. 

Gina passes Red balancing four plates of pizza on his arms as she makes her way back behind the counter to put the order in. Everything seemed to be taken care of as of right now. Every table was either waiting for food or was already eating, so she thought helping out Howie at the topping station was probably the best idea.

“How’s it going over here?” She takes one of the many pans with dough on it and gets to work on the orders.

“I want to die.” Howie gives Gina his biggest, fakest smile.

“You know, when I first started here, I loved the whole small family-owned pizza shop idea, but on days like this? I really wish the Redonovich’s would just hire more employees.” Gina laughs, adding some green peppers to the pizza.

“I love this family with all my heart, but I’d really appreciate it if they could have more than just their son and his two friends working here.” Howie laughs along, moving to put his pizza in the oven.

“Exactly my point!” Gina continues adding various toppings, attempting to read her own scribbles on the notepaper hanging in front of her.

“I swear, I’m going to kill my parents if I don’t see a ‘Now Hiring’ sign up on the front window in twenty-four hours.” Red let out a sigh, refilling a glass of Iced Tea. “How are you guys doing?”

Gina looks from Red to Howie, laughing as he opens his mouth to speak, but only ends up sighing in defeat.

“Howie’s having a bad day.” Gina giggles.

“That makes two of us.” Red smiles.

“Make that three,” Gina says, finishing her pizza, carrying it over to Howie by the ovens.

The three continue telling quick jokes until Red realizes he’s still holding the now full glass of Iced Tea.

“Oh shit, I’ll be right back.” He runs from behind the counter as Gina and Howie laugh.

“Where’s Ash today? She’s usually around here somewhere,” Howie asks.

“Probably already at home. I think Ms. Jenn asked her to work on another song, so she’s been really focused on that lately.” Gina and Howie both move onto their next pizza.

“I see… Such a busy family,” Howie nudges her lightly.

“Oh yeah, Ashlyn’s a songwriter, EJ’s a star water polo player, and I… am making pizzas with my best friend at his crushes pizza shop.”

“Genevieve Porter, I will not hesitate to throw a handful of cheese at you if you don’t quiet down right now.”

“Why?! It’s so obvious that he likes you back!” Gina finishes another pizza and adds it to the oven.

“You know how Red is, he’s friendly with literally everyone. I don’t think he feels that way about me, Gi.”

“Well, I still think you should tell him how you feel. I need to live vicariously through you two since... “ She goes silent, her smile fading as she shakes her head.

Howie wants to say something. He wants to be there for his best friend, the girl who has cared for him since the moment they met. He wants to be able to cheer her up, reassure her that maybe the boy she wants to be with also wants to be with her.

But he doesn’t get any words out, because his attention is now directed to the door of the shop where a small bell can be heard ringing as two people walk in.

“This is… This cannot be happening right now.” Howie mumbles.

“Wha- Oh, hold that thought. I gotta get these pizzas over to EJ’s table.” Gina plates the pizzas and makes her way over to the booth before Howie can get another word out.

She takes notice of another new couple who had just been seated by Red. He seems to know them well, laughing at something that was said to him. She can’t seem to make out who they are though, only seeing the back of a girl’s head. 

Red walks away from the table as Gina sets down the pizzas and reminds the team that there’s more food on its way.

Taking out her notepad and pen again, she walks over to the table Red had just been standing at.

“Hi, my name’s Gina and I’ll be your server toda-” 

“Hey, Gi!”

She looks up from her paper, not quite trusting her ears when she hears his voice. But alas, there he was. Ricky Bowen sitting across from Nini Salazar-Roberts. On a date. Because that’s what you do when you’re dating someone. 

“Busy day?” Nini laughs slightly, her eyes moving back and forth between Ricky and Gina.

“What? Oh, sorry, yeah. You know… sports…” Gina’s words tumble over one another, barely even looking at Nini.

Gina hates to admit it, but she’s hurt. She’s very hurt. She understands that they’re a couple and that they’re on a date. But here? They had to come here for dinner? An hour and a half before closing? It wasn’t like they didn’t know she would be here. Gina was always here. Howie and Red had become her second (or third, technically) family with all the time she spent here. So for these two to waltz in and expect Gina to be their server while they flirt and giggle? Yeah, she was really hurt. So hurt, in fact, that she has to lie.

“Gina? You okay?” Ricky looks concerned.

“Um, sorry. I just feel a little sick. Let me get Red to serve you guys instead.” She gives them her weakest smile and leaves the table without another word. 

Red is talking with Howie behind the counter, and as much as she hates to interrupt a moment between the two, she can’t go back to Ricky and Nini and pretend she’s okay. So she marches over to the couple, trying to hold herself up.

“Hey guys, sorry to bother you but… Can either one of you please serve table 7 instead?”

“Table 7? But that’s Ri- Oh…” It takes Red a moment, but soon enough it clicks. “Yeah, Gi. No problem.” He gives her and Howie a quick smile and walks over to Ricky and Nini.

Gina exhales. Today was not going the way she had planned.

“You okay, buddy?” Howie lightly places his hand on her shoulder.

“I- I’m not really sure.”

“Hey, look, I know we haven’t known each other for a really long time or anything, but I’ve known both you and Ricky long enough to realize that you two are good together. You just work. If he really wants to be with Nini, than that’s his loss. But between you and me, I think he only went for what felt safe.”

Gina smiles softly at the boy, knowing that someone she met only a few months ago is one of the people who cares most for her. “What did I do to end up meeting someone like you?” 

“You asked Red to get you a job here, for whatever reason.” He laughs.

“And boy do I regret it…” She glances over at Red, who seems to be almost done with the order.

“On the bright side, there’s only a little more time until closing, so we won’t have to be around them very long.”

“I guess so…” Gina can’t help but watch Ricky smile and laugh with Nini as Red leaves their table and makes his way over to his friends.

“Okay, change of plans. Howie, you’re with me on the floor for the rest of the night while Gina is behind the counter.” Red pins up the order next to the others.

“Red, no, it’s okay. I can still serve… Just not them.” Gina shakes her head.

“It’s fine Gi, I promise. We’ll come back here whenever we aren’t serving to help you out.” Red reassures her with a smile.

Howie holds his hand out, waiting for Gina to pass him her notepad and pen.

“I love you guys.”

“Yeah, yeah. We know. Now give me your damn pen before customers start leaving.” Howie laughs.

The next hour goes by surprisingly fast, but it doesn’t help that Ricky and Nini are some of the last people who are still in the shop. 

Gina would do her best to focus on the multiple orders that were piling up, but she would always end up stealing glances at their table. She couldn’t even see Nini’s face, which made things worse in a way, considering Ricky was the only thing she could look at. She hated herself for being mad at him. He went back to her and Gina had let it happen. Looking back, there’s a chance she could have stopped him from walking onto the stage with Nini during the musical. She could have asked him to come to the hair and makeup station with her so they could chat, so she could get his mind off of his mom bringing her new boyfriend. But instead, she brought him into the gym, where Nini had been waiting for him. 

But what kind of friend would she be if she didn’t bring him into the gym? She’d be the kind of friend who let him miss out on being happy, and she couldn’t live with herself if she had done that. So, if he was happy, then Gina had to accept that and move on. 

The only problem was that Gina didn’t just move on from situations like this, she closed up again. She had let down her walls for Ricky Bowen. She let him know all the dark parts of her, the parts that only a few others got to see. Now that he was with Nini, and she had friends like Red and Howie, there was no reason for her to confide in him anymore. So she would do the only thing Gina really knew how to do, she would build her walls back up, and he wouldn’t be able to get in anymore. He lost that chance.

There were only a few people still eating, and Gina had moved onto washing dishes and scrubbing countertops, while Howie was still working on the floor and Red was cleaning bathrooms.

“Gina, hey, can we talk?” 

She looks up to see Ricky staring back at her, his eyes pleading for a response.

“I… Um… I’m busy, Ricky.”

“No, I know, but I can just talk while you clean.”

Gina furrows her eyebrows, looking behind to see that Nini is still sitting at their table scrolling through her phone. “Ricky, please. Not now.” She goes back to scrubbing.

“Then when?!” He raises his voice a little, making Gina look back up at him.

“Gi,” Howie walks behind the counter, “EJ is asking for you.” He looks between Ricky and Gina. “Everything okay at your table, Ricky?”

“Yeah, thanks dude.” He says plainly.

Gina shakes her head slightly at Ricky before she makes her way over to EJ’s booth again, where only a few of his teammates are left.

“Howie said you asked for me?”

“What was that?” He asks, looking back at Ricky sitting back down at his table.

“Ricky? Nothing. He said he wanted to talk to me.”

“Well, what did he say?”

“He didn’t say anything. Howie saved the day. Now, what do you want?”

“Oh, yeah. Do you need a ride home? I’m happy to wait a little longer if you need it.”

“Howie actually offered to give me a ride when we both got here, so I’m good.”

“Awesome. I’ll just have the bill please.” He says with his EJ Caswell grin.

“Yeah, yeah. Give me a second.” 

Howie has taken Gina’s place cleaning the counter. He stops for a second to point to a piece of paper crumpled up on top of the register. 

“What’s that?” She reaches for it, uncrumpling it gently.

“He left it for you. I didn’t read it, though.”

One side is an extra copy of what Gina assumes is Ricky and Nini’s bill, but the other side has dark, messy writing on it, reading: Please just call me when you get home. -R

“He and Nini just left,” He adds.

She takes a deep breath before crumpling the bill back up and throwing it in the trash. Howie watches her closely as she prints out two copies of EJ’s bill. He sees how quickly she’s blinking as if she’s trying to keep herself from crying. He notices how she plays with her curls while watching the bills print. He notices how she’s softly tapping her foot. Howie notices all the things he’s grown to recognize about Gina Porter and the small things she does when she gets upset.

“You’re still good to drive me home tonight, right? Because I already told EJ that I had a ri-” 

“I’m still good, Gina.”

She smiles weakly at him before rushing back over to EJ with his bill and the debit machine.

By the time everyone has finally cleared out, Red, Gina, and Howie are sitting together as Howie catches Red up on what he missed while he was cleaning. Even after the shitty day she’s had, Gina can’t help but smile at how close Howie and Red are sitting, their legs swinging back and forth, knocking it each other every now and then. 

“Wait, so what did his note say?” Red asks.

“He wants me to call him when I get home…”

“Are you going to?” Howie chimes in.

“I don’t know… Maybe?” She looks down at her own feet.

The boys stay quiet, exchanging worried glances between one another.

“I just wish I knew what he was thinking… You know? I want to be happy for him and Nini, but it’s so hard when he keeps doing things like leaving crumpled up notes for me to read at work, or when he asks me for relationship advice. If he’s happy with her, then why can’t he just leave me alone?”

“Maybe he still wants to be friends?” Red says softly.

“But how can I be just friends with someone like him? The boy knows everything there is to know about me. I know everything there is to know about him. We had an understanding. We got each other. And after everything, I’m supposed to just go back to being his friend? I don’t know how easy that’ll be for me?”

Howie and Red can’t do anything but nod their heads, completely understanding where she’s coming from. She was Gina Porter, after all. If she liked you enough to let you in, you better damn well appreciate her, because that offer only came around once.

When the three teens eventually decide to call it a night, Howie and Gina pile into his car and wave goodbye to Red who’s finishing locking up.

The car is quiet for a bit, both of them still thinking about what Gina had said inside. The silence lasts until Howie opens his Spotify at a red light and starts playing the Grease soundtrack, both of them singing their hearts out to Summer Nights. Suddenly, Gina forgets all about the call she’s supposed to make when she gets home and enjoys the moments spent with her best friend.

When Howie pulls into her driveway, he looks over at her with a smile. “I know you, Gi. I know you know what’s best for you.”

It takes Gina a second to realize what he’s talking about, but then she smiles back at him. “Thank you for the ride, buddy.”

Gina makes her way up to her room, careful not to disturb Ashlyn, who could be heard playing around with her piano in the next room. She changes out of her work uniform and into her pyjama’s. She looks over at her phone that was now laying on her bed and shakes her head, then grabs it and holds down the power button, turning it off for the night.

And that was that. Gina chose not to call him, because like Howie had said, she knew what was best for her. She knew she couldn’t put herself through that again, so she had decided to keep Ricky Bowen out of her life for the time being.

That’s until it’s one in the morning and Gina wakes up to the sound of something hitting her window. Over and over again. She gets up cautiously, wondering if it’s a better idea to call EJ or Ashlyn first, but she quickly decides against it, not wanting to wake them up for something if it wasn’t a real emergency.

She pulls open her curtains, struggling to see who was standing below her window in the dark. Then, they turn on the flashlight on their phone, and Gina can see that it’s Ricky looking up at her. She opens her window with a yawn.

“What are you doing here?” She says loud enough for him to hear, but quiet enough to not wake the others. 

“You didn’t call, or answer any of my texts.”

“My phone is off!”

“I was worried…”

“And you thought throwing rocks at my window at one in the morning was the best way to check on me?” She backs up and starts closing her window.

“Wait!”

“What?”

“Why aren’t you talking to me? Why do Red and Howie keep interrupting us anytime we’re having a conversation? Why has it been a month since we last texted?”

“I wouldn’t call me serving your table or you trying to talk to me while I work a conversation… But whatever.”

“Gina, come on. Seriously. What did I do?”

“I can’t do this right now.”

“Then when?!”

“I don’t know, Ricky!”

There’s a light knock on her bedroom door. “Gi? Everything okay in there?” Ashlyn mumbles sleepily.

Gina turns to face her door, debating on if she wants to tell Ashlyn who’s currently outside her bedroom window.

“All good, Ash. Just on the phone. Sorry!” She waits a few seconds until she can hear Ashlyn tread back to her own room, and then turns back to the window.

“Can you please just go home?” She begs.

“I’m not leaving until you tell me what I did.”

Gina knows that the best option for her now would be to just close the window and her curtains, ignore the rocks being thrown, and go back to sleep, but she doesn’t do any of that.

“I got tired of being your punching bag, Ricky, okay? When we first became friends, we got along so well because we understood what we were both going through. We told each other everything. These last few months, though, it’s like the only thing you want to talk about anymore is Nini. I get it, you guys are together and you’re happy, and I’m happy that you’re happy, but you can’t expect me to be okay with being your relationship counsellor all of a sudden. I’m not sure what all of our time together meant to you, but it clearly didn’t mean the same thing to me, so I’m sorry for reading this wrong, that’s my bad. I can’t sit around and wait for you to realize how much I liked you, Ricky, maybe more than that. I can’t keep putting you first. So for right now, I’m done.” Gina takes a step back and exhales.

Below, Ricky is trying to process everything she’s said. He doesn’t want to fight with her over this, but he also can’t just let her go like they meant nothing to each other.

“Can we… Can we still be friends, Gi?”

“I don’t want to be your friend anymore, Ricky, because I know how you treat your friends, and that’s not something I wanna be apart of,” Gina reaches to close the window, “Don’t call me Gi anymore, and please don’t call or text.” 

With that, she closes the window and drags the curtains closed, slowly walking back over to her bed. She sits on the end and starts to let her tears fall, and it only takes a few moments until Ashlyn and EJ are tip-toeing into her room with coffee and a box of tissues.

“I called Howie,” EJ says.

“I called Red,” Ashlyn adds.

“They’re on their way over, Gi.” EJ hands her the mug and smiles softly at her as Ashlyn rubs her back.

And at this moment alone, Gina knows that she has the right people with her.


End file.
